HOUSTON, Texas – Watch out! It’s coming again. There’s another flash flood warning for the Houston-Galveston area from Friday through Sunday morning. With heavy rains expected, the Harris County Emergency Operations Center will be activated at Level 3, “Increased Readiness.”
“According to the forecast, we’ll have anywhere between 2 inches of rain in some areas, up to 8 inches in other areas,” said Francisco Sanchez, PIO of the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “Our concern right now is gonna be the road flooding that happens because of that, and obviously we’re gonna have to watch the bayous.”
This severe weather couldn’t come at a worse moment. People in the greater Houston area are still recovering from the Tax Day Flood.
“We got about a foot and a half of water throughout our house,” recalls Northwest Houston resident Amber Ambrose. “So, pretty much everything was ruined.”
Crews with the City of Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department have been rolling through town, removing debris and helping residents clean their damaged properties.
“We’ve asked the citizens to put all their debris out in piles, and now we’re out in the community picking it up,” explained Irma Reyes, the department’s public information officer. “We have people that put out their Sheetrock, their furniture, their appliances. We’re also picking branches that have fallen off.”
But it’s what’s lost in the floods that hurts the most.
“I’ve lost some wedding photos and some baby stuff,” cried Ambrose. “We also got robbed the night of the flood. So that was fantastic: I lost my engagement ring and our TVs that we had saved.”
And while we’re preparing for what could be a potential disaster, here are some tips for the days to come.
“The best thing to do right now is to stay tuned to the forecast,” recommended Sanchez. “Stay home if you can, and avoid being out on the roadways until the rain clears.”
Take care folks. And remember: when it comes to the weather, no news is good news.
